The Fox
by wild4rose7cool
Summary: Oneshot. NaruSaku. The Fox will always protect Sakura in one form or another.


Author's Note: *waves*  
Lately I've been hearing that NaruSaku is a dying pairing and jumped into action.  
To be completely honest I haven't seen all the Naruto episodes or read any of the manga... (not a die-hard fan...terrible I know DX)  
Sakura has been my favourite from the very start. The only thing I've never liked about her is (or was) her obsession with Sasuke. I have never understood his appeal to both Sakura and to the many fans (or fangirls) of Naruto.

This is my very first attempt at Naruto fanfiction...._ever_ so constructive criticism is great but just you know, don't eat me alive!

* * *

Lately Sakura had been dreaming of foxes.

Her dreams in the past had been of battles and tears and places where she relived moments of utter uselessness as her teammates protected her.

Before she had dreamt of dark hair and the occasional smirk and charcoal black eyes...

Her mind had been focused on the past.

Now she dreamt of the red hair and a wet nose on her at all sides and from within the million tails a honeyed voice and sky-blue orbs insistently beckoning her onwards to something better.

Never before had she dreamt of such things.

So this time when Naruto, all grown up with a black and orange jumpsuit and maturity in his eyes marched up to her with love written all over his face she no longer saw the irritating boy who acted too big for his own shoes.

She punched his lights out for tripping clumsily and "accidently" groping her...but later on when she nursed the massive red lump on his head back to normal she allowed him to hold her hand because she was suddenly back in the place where the fox pulled her away from the blackness.

Her dreams began to change.

Sakura dreamt of a slowly lightening sky, tendrils of pale blue ripping the black into navy blue, royal blue and finally into a brilliant aqua resembling the fox's shiny eyes which hovered around her protectively when the darkness threatened to flare.

When Naruto first placed his arm around her waist she stared at him on the verge of swinging a fist.

The no-longer-so-goofy ninja smiled casually and started whistling as they made their way down the street.

She took a step back and sighed.

For the first time she was feeling the real warmth of a fox outside her own imagination.

Sakura's dreams changed again as Naruto offhandedly spent more time walking her around.

The fox's fur was softer, more soothing as the darkness was permanently banished from her mind black eyes no longer piercing her in long struggles of heartbreak.

Now the fox brushed around her tenderly with affectionate nuzzles, occasionally gnashing its teeth playfully when she tapped it in mock annoyance.

Now the fox's tails changed from one single mass of fuzz to nine lashing whips that never marred the skin on her own body no matter how agitated it sometimes seemed.

The blue sky was so concentrated in her dreams that the glare made it impossible to see and she was left kneeling on the silky fur with complete trust in her heart.

Naruto's hand had become a fixture on her waist now whenever they walked around the village together.

She had grown so used to it that the one day Naruto didn't place it there something felt missing.

She pondered about it as he nervously lead her up a distant hill as the sun set one evening.

And when Naruto leaned in for their first kiss Sakura almost flinched at the colour of his vivid blue eyes shimmering in the buttery light of the sunset.

Her eyes narrowed in outrage as his tongue tried to go a little too far.

She left him in a cloud of dust with a large red hand imprint on the side of his cheek thankful that the haze covered her reddened blush.

The next time he approached her she was glad that he let her control their activities...although when his tongue came out again she was far more welcoming the second time....

Slowly Sakura dreamt less and less of foxes until the point where she stopped dreaming at all.

Now her nights were just the time of day where she closed her eyes and then opened them again to find that the next day had already arrived.

She was restless when the dreams left her like that.

The fox had somehow transferred out of her mind and into the form of Naruto Uzumaki.

Without the fox in her dreams she no longer had the warmth surrounding her in her sleep, no longer woke up content and nuzzling her pillow with the lingering tickle of whiskers across her face.

In the eerie light of the moon she finally crossed the town and knocked on Naruto's door feeling ridiculous.

When she had finally settled in his bed with her fist placed near his face as a very serious warning to keep his hands to himself she felt the restlessness seep out of her.

The fox reappeared fleetingly for the very last time.

It licked her cheek and slid its whiskers across her forehead cradling her with its soft red fur. She smiled and petted it tenderly until it leapt up into the blue sky disappearing into the glare.

She woke up and cupped Naruto's cheek.

Time passed in their village, missions were completed and the world went on.

When Naruto finally asked her to marry him she still sent him flying half-way across the village with her fists...except this time she loved every moment afterwards as he followed her around with words of adoration and puppy-dog eyes until she finally conceded defeat.

Sakura realised that she'd loved him since the very first dream.

END


End file.
